From landslide characterization to nature reserve management:The“Scialimata Grande di Torre Alfina”landslide Geosite(Central Apennines,Italy)

Italy is characterized by widespread geomorphological instability,among which landslides leave impressive marks on the landscape.Nevertheless,landslide bodies may represent key sites for thematic and educational itineraries,especially in protected areas,where their management becomes an important issue.Our study focuses on the"Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve"(Central Apennines,Italy),where iconic landslides are present.Here,the"Scialimata Grande di Torre Alfina"landslide(SGTA)is listed in the regional Geosite database.This work aims to propose a multiscale procedure for landslide analysis,in terms of both hazard sources but also educational and geoheritage enhancement opportunities in natural reserves.After performing a Landslide Susceptibility conditional Analysis(LSA)for the reserve territory,attention was focused on the SGTA,to define properly its features and morphodynamics.A multi-disciplinary approach was adopted,by applying both remote sensing(UAV structure from motion,Photointerpretation)and field survey(geomorphological and GPS monitoring).From the LSA,based on drainage density,curvature,and slope triggering factors,the road and trail susceptibility maps were derived,as base tools for future risk assessments and trail paths management within the reserve.At the SGTA scale,the monitoring showed a displacement of up to 23 m during the time interval between 2015 and 2018.The landslide dynamics seem to be driven by alternating dry and extremely wet periods;moreover,leaks from the aqueduct in the detachment area and piping effects through clays may have also decreased the substrate cohesion.The SGTA complex influence on the Paglia River valley geometry was also hypothesized,underlining the action of landslide through different spatial scales(on-site and off-site)and on different environment features(sediment connectivity,hydrology).Finally,the SGTA appears highly representative of the geomorphic dynamics within the Nature Reserve(i.e.,scientific value)and it could be classified as an active geosite.Since the site was featured by a tourist trail,adequate management strategies must be adopted,considering the educational value and safety issues.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ecological Quality in Alpine Freshwater Lake Nature Reserves in the Past 20 Years

The Caohai Nature Reserve is one of the three major plateau freshwater lakes in China.Since the 1950s,human activities such as land reclamation and population relocation have greatly damaged Caohai.A rapid evaluation of the spatiotemporal evolution trend of the ecological quality of the Caohai Nature Reserve is significant for the maintenance and construction of the ecosystem in this area.The research is based on the Google Earth Engine(GEE)remote sensing cloud computing platform.Landsat TM/OLI images from May to October in five time periods:2000-2002,2004-2006,2009-2011,2014-2016,and 2019-2021 were obtained to reconstruct the optimal cloud image set by averaging the images in each time period.By constructing four ecological indicators:Greenness(NDVI),Wetness(Wet),Hotness(LST),and Dryness(NDBSI),and using Principal Component Analysis(PCA)method to obtain the Remote Sensing Ecological Index(RSEI)for the corresponding years,the spatiotemporal variation of ecological quality in the Caohai Nature Reserve over 20 years was analyzed.The results indicate:①the mean value of RSEI increased from 0.460 in 2000-2002 to 0.772 in 2019-2021,a 67.83%increase,indicating a significant improvement in the ecological quality of the reserve over the 20 years;②from the perspective of functional zoning of the Caohai Nature Reserve,the ecological quality of the core area showed a degrading trend,while the ecological quality of the buffer zone and experimental zone significantly improved;③with the implementation of ecological restoration projects,the ecological quality of the reserve gradually recovered and improved from 2014 to 2021.The trend of RSEI value changes is well correlated with human interventions,indicating that the PCA-based RSEI model can be effectively used for ecological quality assessment in lake areas.

Determination of Main Design Indicators of Patrol Road in Nature Reserves

In principle,nature reserves are managed and controlled according to the core area and the general control area.At present,there is no relevant design specification for the design system of patrol road in various protected areas.This paper analyzed the factors to be considered in determining the grade,horizontal and vertical design indicators,and cross section indicators of the patrol road in the protected area,and came up with the corresponding design indicators and parameters,so as to provide a certain reference for the subsequent patrol road design.

Management Philosophy and Practices of Habitat Conservation for Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

Starting from the pressure on habitat of Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve broughtabout by traveling activity, this paper puts forward such philosophy of community co-management ofconservation-based tourism development for Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. According to this philosophy,emphasis is laid on the analysis of the mission of habitat protection, functional division, habitatmaintenance, community construction, scientific study and management organization system. The studyshows that the close relation and significance of rights and interests shared between nature reserveand residents in community, as well as the value of community co-management philosophy ofconservation-based tourism development in sustainable management of nature reserve, have set anexemplary example for other nature reserves.

Sharing and evaluation of a new community co-management model for protecting Crested Ibis:a case study of Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve,China

The Crested Ibis(Nipponia Nippon) is endemic to Qinling Mountains of China and was once abundant over vast areas of north-east of Asia habitat.During the 20th century,however,the population declined greatly in numbers.Habitat quality used to be the main threat to this species but recent actions by the government and wildlife protection organizations have brought this under control.With the establishment of Crested Ibis Nature Reserve in China,conflicts between socio-economic development and Crested Ibis conservation have become more acute.How do we deal with the relation between Crested Ibis conservation and community development? In this study,the Crested Ibis Nature Reserve co-management model namely "companies + farmers + Nature Reserve" model is proposed and evaluated with demonstration investigation methods,including continuous six-year fixed-site socio-economic development data of surrounding community,company sales revenue data and monitored data of Crested Ibis Nature Reserve.The results show that farmers' income and conservation awareness increased greatly from 2003 to 2008;company sales revenue has increased by about 20% annually in the recent years;management level has noticeably improved in Nature Reserve,the scope of Crested Ibis habitat has expanded 50 hm2;chemical composition of habitat reduced year after year;and the number of Crested Ibis had been growing annually.At the end,the success of the model is evaluated,and problems in implementation of the model are discussed from the following aspects:management system,co-management concept,economic base of partners,marketing mechanism,technical capacity and so on.

Research on Design and Management of Community-Based Ecotourism Model in Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve of Kazakhstan

This study investigates the community-based ecotourism (CBE) model using a sample of the Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve (NR). The aim is to propose a suitable CBE model for Aksu-Zhabgly nature-based tourism destinations by employing a combination of field observation, examination, evaluation, and SWOT analysis. The study determines the strategic suggestions for CBE model designing by the results of SWOT analysis. It concludes that convenient transportation and superior location, diversified wild animals and plants, rich in ethnocultural resources, traditional and tranquil life in a typical rural setting, hospitality and positive attitude of locals to tourism and great potential of the region for sustainable development of ecotourism are the strengths. At the same time, the far residential location from the provincial cities, low-quality service, outdated facilities and shortage of skilled employees in tourism management are the main weakness. Another group of constraints to tourism development is lack of tourism marketing and promotion agencies, lack of transparency, poor institution arrangement and corruption, and lack of preferential policies for CBE development. Finally, the paper recommends that economic development, environmental protection, culture and heritage, marketing and image, favorable political environment, and local residents’ empowerment are the main essential to effectively implement the sustainable development of CBE in the Aksu-Zhabagly tourist destination.

Landscape influences and management countermeasures of ginseng planting near Changbai mountain nature reserve

Ginseng planting in Northeast China brings economic benefits but affects forest landscape integrity and native ecological processes.In order to quantify the impacts of ginseng planting on the forest landscape,Fusong County in Jilin Province was selected as a study area.The number and distribution of ginseng fields over different time was quantified based on remote sensing and ground surveys.Grid analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to study the impacts of ginseng planting on the landscape.The results showed that altitudes and slopes of ginseng fields increased and became increasingly scattered and smaller closer to the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve.Ginseng fields and abandoned fields increased total patches and total area of the local forested landscape,and shared edge lengths between ginseng fields and forests,resulting in continuous fragmentation of the landscape.Although the total area of existing and abandoned ginseng fields accounts for a small fraction of the total landscape,their negative impacts on ecosystem conservation is significant.The local government needs to rationally plan ginseng planting,scientifically implement the restoration of abandoned ginseng lands,and enhance awareness of ginseng farmers to environmental stewardship.Our study has important significance for maintaining the healthy and stable development of the local ginseng industry and for improving the quality of regional ecological environment.

Population Density and Habitat Utilization of Ibex(Capra ibex)in Tomur National Nature Reserve,Xinjiang,China

Surveys was conducted to study the population density and habitat utilization of the ibex （Capra ibex） in Tomur National Nature Reserve during October- December 2005. The results are as follows： ① The mean group size of the ibex in Tomur Nature Reserve is 8.43 and the population density is 269.76/100 km^2; ② The ibex prefer areas with steep slope （between 30° -45°）, broken substrates and cliffs nearby （ 〈 100 m）. They avoid grasslands and fiat hillsides; ③The probable reason for this habitat selection is serf-protection.

Characteristics of natural Japanese yew population in Muling Nature Reserve of Heilongjiang Province,China

The scalar of Japanese yew （Taxus cuspidata） population and the relationship between individual distribution and site factors were analyzed according to investigating data in 74 sample belts with a total sampled area of 436.872 hm2 in Muling Nature Reserve. The result showed that the distribution rules of Japanese yew population were correlated to elevation, slope position, slope aspect and slope gradient. The optimal distribution range in elevation for the natural Japanese yew population is at the attitudes of 700-800 m. The amounts of Japanese yew individuals on shady slope were more than those on sunny slope. On top slope and mid-slope, the individual amounts of Japanese yew are more than those on toe slope. Most of Japanese yew individuals occurred on slope gradient of less than 15. The scalar of the population was decreased with the slope gradient increasing.

Analysis of Forest Landscape Pattern in Nanling National Nature Reserve,Guangdong

[Objective] The study was to analyze the forest landscape in Nanling Na- tional Nature Reserve to provide information for the protection of local forest ecosys- tems. [Method] With the documents of 1：10 000 topographic maps, updated Forest Resource Inventory Data, based on the GIS platform and Fragstats software, the paper analyzed the patterns and heterogeneity of forest landscapes by adopting the landscape ecological theory and the method of landscape index. [Result] The forest landscape types, in terms of area occupation from large to small, are in the order of evergreen broad-leaved forest, coniferous mixed forest, evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest, shrubs, mixed needle leaf forest, suitable land for forest deciduous broad-leaved forest and non-forest. [Conclusion] Overall, the Reserve had maintained sufficient forest landscape diversity with a low level fragmentation. The distribution of various types of forest landscape was extremely uneven, dominated by several types such as evergreen broad-leaved forest, coniferous forest, etc.

Management Modes at Different Levels and Management Effectiveness of Nature Reserve

Classification management is one of nature reserves management system in China. But state nature reserves and local administration nature reserves under the regulations are only the approval system and embody the concept of protection. Management pattern of nature reserves can be divided into nine types. There are big differences in the nine patterns in management foundation and coordination ability of management because different management pattern occupies different resources of administration,personnel,financial and law enforcement. By analyzing management pattern,thirty-eight indexes in thirteen categories were selected to evaluate the management effectiveness of national nature reserves subordinate to the State Forestry Administration (SFA) . Results show that the management effectiveness of national nature reserves is good as a whole,and the management effectiveness is direct proportional to administration level. Provincial administration has the higher efficiency than municipal and county administration. Direct administration by governments at all levels has the higher efficiency than departments' administration at the same level.

On the Biomass of Four Major Tree Species in Vegetation Restoration Pattern Area of Beichuan Nature Reserve

In the experiment, by taking Quercus engleriana Seem., Betula albo- sinensis Burk., Abies faxoniana Rehd. and Fargesia rufa Yi, in the vegetation restoration pattern area of Beichuan Nature Reserve as the research objects, the study on the biomass models, the biomass distribution law of single plant and the growth rule of every organ of the four tree species was made. The results indicated that in the compositions of all of the species, the proportion of trunk biomass was the highest, while that of trunk biomass was the lowest, the proportions of branch and root biomasses varied depending on species; in the comparison of correlativity between the proportions of biomasses of all nutrition organs and biomass of single plant, the relations were generally significant, the tree trunks were positively related while the roots were negatively related; the proportion of trunk biomass of all species was significantly and negatively related to the proportions of leaf and branch biomasses, while the biomass of leaves was significantly and positively related to the biomass of branches.

Characteristics and the Issue of Eco-safety for the Plant Biodiversity in Longtan Nature Reserve

The characteristic and status quo of plant biodiversity in Longtan Nature Reserve was evaluated from the three aspects of species diversity, genetic diversity and ecosystem dioversity. And the primary eco-safety influencing factors for plant biodiversity in Longtan nature reserve were put forward. The results show that the plant species in Longtan Nature Reserve was abundant, including 2 821 species of vascular bundle plants belonging to 1029 genera, 205 families. The main problems influencing eco-safety included the destruction of endangered wild plants and exotic species invasion.

An Observation of Franois' Langurs Using Caves at Mayanghe National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China

The utilization of caves is a rather rare phenomenon in nonhuman primates, found almost exclusively in those members of the genus Trachypithecus that share a preference for forest on limestone （karst） hills in Vietnam and southern China. Here we report a new case of usage of caves as overnight sleeping shelters by Franqois＇ or black langurs （Trachypithecusfraru;oisi） at Mayanghe National Nature Reserve in Yanhe County, Guizhou Province, China. We tentatively address three possible hypotheses that may account for the use of caves in Francois＇ langurs at Mayanghe： shelter against climatic conditions, acquisition of minerals and protection from predators. utilization

Assessment of habitat suitability of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in Qomolangma National Nature Reserve based on MaxEnt modeling

Habitat evaluation constitutes an important and fundamental step in the management of wildlife populations and conservation policy planning. Geographic information system （GIS） and species presence data provide the means by which such evaluation can be done. Maximum Entropy （MaxEnt） is widely used in habitat suitability modeling due to its power of accuracy and additional descriptive properties To survey snow leopard populations in Qomolangma （Mt. Everest） National Nature Reserve （QNNR）, Xizang （Tibet）, China, we pooled 127 pugmarks, 415 scrape marks, and 127 non-invasive identifications of the animal along line transects and recorded 87 occurrences through camera traps from 2014-2017. We adopted the MaxEnt model to generate a map highlighting the extent of suitable snow leopard habitat in QNNR. Results showed that the accuracy of the MaxEnt model was excellent （mean AUC=0.921）. Precipitation in the driest quarter, ruggedness, elevation, maximum temperature of the warmest month, and annual mean temperature were the main environmental factors influencing habitat suitability for snow leopards, with contribution rates of 20.0%, 14.4%, 13.3%, 8.7%, and 8.2% respectively The suitable habitat area extended for 7 001.93 km^2, representing 22.72% of the whole reserve. The regions bordering Nepal were the main suitable snow leopard habitats and consisted of three separate habitat patches Our findings revealed that precipitation, temperature conditions, ruggedness, and elevations of around 4 000 m a.s.I, influenced snow leopard preferences at the landscape level in QNNR. We advocate further research and cooperation with Nepal to evaluate habitat connectivity and to explore possible proxies of population isolation among these patches. Furthermore, evaluation of subdivisions within the protection zones of QNNR is necessary to improve conservation strategies and enhance protection.

POPULATION AND CONSERVATION OF BLACK CRESTED GIBBONS ( Hylobates concolor jingdongensis ) IN WULIANG NATURE RESERVE,JINGDONG,YUNNAN

Population estimates of black crested gibbons in Wuliang Nature Reserve,Jingdong,Yunnan,China,with two techniques,average group density total area and average home rang forest coverage,produced quite similar results.The population was estimated around 115 groups in the Reserve.The paper also discussed the conservation problems of the Reserve.At present,the main threat to the gibbons is habitat fragmentation and population isolation.Thus,it is urgent to prohibit hunting and protect the habitat and forest corridors or habitat bridges.

Nest-site selection pattern of Grus japonensis in Zhalong Nature Reserve of northeast China

Nest-site selection patterns of Red-crowned cranes（Grus japonensis） and the effects of environmental variables were studied during the years of 2002-2008 in Zhalong Nature Reserve,Qiqihar city,northeast China.The nest-site selection pattern of Red-crowned cranes included two orders and three choices：the choice of nest-site habitat type within the macro-habitat order,nest zone selection and nest-site micro-habitat selection within the micro-habitat order.Various habitats（such as Carex swamps and reed fire districts） can be selected as the nest sites for Red-crowned cranes,of which reed swamps（93.15%） are given a preference.Factor Analysis reveals that the micro-habitat selection are affected by four main factors：fire,security（concealment /disturbance）,incubation（conditions,nest-material）,and food.Further analysis reveals that Red-crowned cranes have certain adaptability to the changes of nesting habitat quality in the Zhalong wetlands.In conclusion,fire,reeds,and water were the most important variables for nest-site habitat selection of Red-crowned Cranes in Zhalong Nature Reserve.

Vegetation change in the Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve from 1981 to 2001

Based on the NOAA AVHRR-NDVI data from 1981 to 2001, the digitalized China Vegetation Map （1：1,000,000）, DEM, temperature and precipitation data, and field investigation, the spatial patterns and vertical characteristics of natural vegetation changes and their influencing factors in the Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve have been studied. The results show that： （1） There is remarkable spatial difference of natural vegetation changes in the Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve and stability is the most common status. There are 5.04% of the whole area being seriously degraded, 13.19% slightly degraded, 26.39% slightly improved, 0.97% significantly improved and 54.41% keeping stable. The seriously and slightly degraded areas, which mostly lie in the south of the reserve, are along the national boundaries. The areas of improved vegetation lie in the north of the reserve and the south side of the Yarlung Zangbo River. The stable areas lie between the improved and degraded areas. Degradation decreases with elevation. （2） Degeneration in the Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve mostly affects shrubs, needle-leaved forests and mixed forests. （3） The temperature change affects the natural vegetation changes spatially while the integration of temperature changes, slopes and aspects affects the natural vegetation change along the altitude gradients. （4） It is the overuse of resources that leads to the vegetation degeneration in some parts of the Mt. Qomolangma Nature Reserve.

Rhizosphere and bulk soil enzyme activities in a Nothotsuga longibracteata forest in the Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve,Fujian Province,China

The rhizosphere, distinct from bulk soil, is defined as the volume of soil around living roots and influenced by root activities. We investigated protease, invertase, cellulase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities in rhizosphere and bulk soils of six Nothotsuga longibracteata forest communities within Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve, including N. longibracteata ＋ either Phyllostachys pubescens, Schima superba, Rhododendron simiarum, Cunninghamia lanceolata, or Cyclobalanopsis glauca, and N. longibracteata pure forest. Rhizosphere soils possessed higher protease, invertase, cellulase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities than bulk soils. The highest invertase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities were observed in rhizosphere samples of N. longibracteata ＋ S. superba. Protease was highest in the N. longibracteata ＋ R. simiarum rhizosphere, while cellulase was highest in the pure N. longibracteata forest rhizosphere. All samples exhibited obvious rhizosphere effects on enzyme activities with a significant linear correlation between acid phosphatase and cellulase activities （p 〈 0.05） in rhizosphere soils and between protease and acid phosphatase activities （p 〈 0.05） in bulk soils. A principal component analysis, correlating 13 soil chemical properties indices relevant to enzyme activities, showed that protease, invertase, acid phosphatase, total N, and cellulase were the most important variables impacting rhizosphere soil quality.

Conflicts and Countermeasures between Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve and Development of Peripheral Communities

Using research approaches such as questionnaire investigation, interview, and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PAR), the relationship between Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve and peripheral communities was studied. The results showed that there are lots of conflicts between Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve and peripheral communities. On the one hand, conservation of natural environment brings inconvenience to the development of peripheral communities, such as limiting the use of resources, constraining space of development, resulting in economic losses, reducing tourist income, and low compensation. On the other hand, peripheral communities' development threats conservation of the natural environment, for instance, illegal deforestation, illegal mining, over-harvesting, over-grazing and non-ecotourism. Therefore, effective suggestions were given as "scientific planning of functional areas, enhancing economic compensation, devoting more in ecotourism development, and realizing the cooperation of communities".